XML version dated October 16, 2025. © Douglas R. Parks, Indiana University.

153

Coyote and the Two Blind Men

Eleanor Chase

natoxtaakituunawáNA niikohniíhiʾ
Where our villages used to extend it is not known where it was
niitinačiisúhAt tswaarúxtiʾ nooWIšititiraaníštoʾ
here where the river is the Missouri, then they (du) befriended one another
pítkUx wiítA.
two men.
ápIs WIšituxčirikaruúxIt.
Both they (du) were blind.
niišikohnuutaakIswaawiíšuʾ nooWI- šitiitakánoʾ niiʾAhnuuxituunawáNA.
The ones who were related to them then they made a lodge for them (du) where the villages extended.
nikunooWIšitiitakánoʾ.
Then that is where they made a lodge for them (du).

na – wešiNAhkukaákUx – WIšitanuunoswá nátš
And – when they (du) were inside – they (du) had piles of it wood
niiWIšitiNAhkUtkawahIhnikú weWIšitiNAh-
for them to make fires for themselves (du) when they
kukaanunoóku niišikohnuutaakIswaawiíšuʾ wešinehkuhnaakaanuunanuuwaʾá.
(du) cooked for themselves whoever was related to them (du) when they brought food for them (du).
tsu tičé nuutaánuʾ wešiNAhkukaákUx.
But what was he doing while they stayed inside?
wešiNAhkisčípi áxkUx nikunoowituúta noo- wiwitiʾús.
When they (du) were sleepy, one then that is what he did: then he lay down.
na uunaákUx weNAhkisčípi noo- wiwitiʾús.
And the other when he would be sleepy, then he lay down.
kAšinuhneesiíšuʾ weNAhkukatiisiʾaáNA.
They (du) did not know it when it became dark.
noowiteeraaníhIt tákuʾ niiwenehkuʾá wešinehkuhnaakaanuu- naʾá.
It was the only time when someone came when they brought them (du) food.
nooWIšitičirikaʾá.
Then they (du) awoke.
na nooWIšiteeWIsiruútIt.
And then they (du) went out.

wešiNAhkuwaákA na wekohniíhiʾ hiíš
Now as they said, and perhaps it was late afternoon,
nooWIšiteeWIsiruútIt wešiNAhkukaasawaáhu.
then they (du) went outside when they (du) were coming out to urinate.
WIšituutaaNIštát na nooWIšitIhuúpA.
They (du) fin- ished doing it and then they (du) went inside.
na nikUšikohnuutaánu noowiteehuuwiraáʾ sčiríhtš.
And while they (du) were doing that then he hurriedly came by Coyote.

atsú nikutatanuunaahtawéʾ sčiríhtš niinakuu-
And that is the one we have among us Coyote the one
taawaanú naapiiraninoosíʾuʾ.
who always does things a wrong way.

na noowiteehuuwiraáʾ sčiríhtš.
And then he came hurriedly Coyote.
weWIšituutIskaweé- rikuʾ tišinawaaríčI.
Now he was looking at their (du) faces these (du).
noowitiwískaʾ a či šikananaaxičiriíkIt.
Then he thought: "And here you (du) cannot see!"

noowitIhuúkAt niišinanuunakaáWI.
Then he went inside where their (du) lodge was.
– kanaakaNIhuúʾU.
– It was a small lodge.
nooWIšituhkaniwaáhAs.
Then he ate everything of theirs (du) up.
tiraanaáNIš sčiríhtš niinakoótA nootuNAsáʾUx.
It is true Coyote wherever he goes then he is hungry.
nooWIšituhkani-.
Then he ate everything of
waáhAs.
theirs (du) up.

tiwešohnaahuupaʾá noowitiwaákoʾ áxkUx šuxteékáWI.
After they (du) came back inside then he said one: "Shut the door!"

nooWIšitireekáWI.
Then they (du) shut the door.

tiwehnuútA witikáʾIt čeehaanuukaríkAt niišohnaanunuunoswaáWI.
Meanwhile there was a fire in the middle of the room where their things lay about.
tiwehnuútA tiwehnuútA nooWI- šititkatawiítIt
Meanwhile, meanwhile, then they (du) sat down by the fire
šiNAhkunaaʾiiwaawaátI WIšitiNAhkutwaaruuWIhtikú.
while they (du) told stories as they (du) were talking to each other.

wah – wewitiraačeéʾA – noowitaanírut nátš.
Now – it was a while – then he (Coyote) took it a stick.
noowitIhuunikUxítIt tinaákUx sčiríhtš.
Then he began to burn it this Coyote.
noowituutuuníkUt na – áxkUx – AhnačirikaruúxU – wiítA – noowitiišuuníNIt.
Then he took it and – one – one who was blind – man – then he burned his hand.

tiwehneešuuNIhníkA noowitiwískaʾ weteeNAxih- naahniitUhuunukaáʾ.
When his hand was burned then he thought: "Now an ember must have popped up.
wetAxkiišuúNIt.
It burned my hand."

kanawituxtaačeéʾA na uunaákUx nohniišuuníNIt.
It was not long, and the other then he burned his hand.
noowitiwaákoʾ hee.
Then he said: "Hey!
wetAxkiišuuníNIt.
You burned my hand.
tičé nuúʾUt nooweNAxkikiišuuNIhníkA.
What is the reason for your burning my hand?"

na – noowitiwaákoʾ – tinaákUx waxtóh áwit neškiišuuníNIt.
And – then he said – this one: "Now certainly first you burned my hand!
nootAxkištáʾa.
You hurt my hand."

na noowitiwaákoʾ na kaakatuhnáʾA.
And then he said: "Why, I am not the cause."

witiwaákoʾ tuunaákUx – tákuʾ tehnakaaʾá.
He said this other one: – "Someone must be inside.
– šuuxaakaʾús.
– Lock the door!"

tsu – WIšituhneswaawiíšuʾ – niiʾAhnareekáWI.
But – they (du) knew how things were – where the door was.
noowitíʾAt uunaákUx – iiʾAhnareekáWI – na noowitI- haakaʾús.
Then he went the other one – where the door was, – and then he locked it.

nooWIšituhniRAhkataWIhaakUxítIt.
Then they (du) began to chase him around.
a či nikunoowitíʾ sčiríhtš.
And here that one was Coyote.
nooWIšituutawaʾuuníkUt sčiríhtš.
Then they (du) caught him Coyote.

nooWIšituhnaʾít tičé naraačítA noowešiNAx- kikišwaawaahIhnikú.
Then they (du) asked him: "What is the reason your burn- ing our (du) hands?"

wewituutáxkUx sčiríhtš.
Now he just sat there Coyote.

noowitiwaákoʾ áxkUx tičé NAsiiNAhuunúxtA.
Then he said one: "What shall we do with him?"

na noowitiwaákoʾ uunaákUx siiNAtčiišatawaáWI.
And then he said the other: "Let's pierce his ears."

na noowitiwaákoʾ nawáh.
And then he said: "Fine."

nooWIsitiiNAtčiišatawaáWI – sčiríhtš.
Then they (du) pierced his ears – Coyote.
na – kaNItwa- kuuniítuʾ kanawitiRIhuúNIt.
And – pumice rock they were small ones.
nooWIšituhnatawaáWI.
Then they (du) made holes.
nooWIšitihnaanukaawaáWI sčiríhtš.
Then they (du) hung them from his ears Coyote.

wewituutáxkUx sčiríhtš.
Now he just sat there Coyote.
noowituuNIskaaʾiwá- nuʾ.
Then he was bobbing his head up and down.
nooWIšituunaʾíwoʾ kaNItwakuuniítuʾ.
Then they (du) were shaking the pumice rocks.

nooWIšitihnaaʾiitáWI tiweNAxwó tiwenaaxaWIsitikú anooʾiišátA
Then they (du) told him: "When you go, as you go out then when you go,
na kaakikaskáWI niitiNAhnaakituunawáNA.
don't look back where our villages are here.
atsu – niiweNAxuutuunuúʾA niiweNAxwó anuú – weku-
But – where you are headed where you are going there – just
tuutuúnuʾ šaanátA.
continue as you go.
atíštIt kunooxuúʾUt.
Well then it will be."

na noowitiwaákoʾ wešikaakatakoótIt.
And then he said: "We (du) did not kill you."

nooWIšitUsaakeeríWAt.
Then they opened the door.
noowitikawátAt sčiríhtš.
Then he went out Coyote.
anuú – wehneehuuwiraátA – wenehkiihuunukaawaáhu
There – while he hurried along – while he was jumping up and down
sčiríhtš wehnaátA nuu – witiwaaʾuúhAt – Ahnawaawi- čeésU
Coyote as he went, there – it was a long hill – its being a high hill,
na noowititáʾAt sčiríhtš.
and then he went up Coyote.
nuu wehnaátA noowitiwískaʾ kAšiNAxuhneesíštA.
There as he was going then he thought: "You (du) won't know it.
šitAxčirikaruúxIt.
You (du) are blind."

noowitikaskáWI anuú AhneetuunawáNA
Then he looked back there where the villages extended
niišohnaanunuunakaáWI – tišinaákUx – wiítA šohnačirikaruúxU.
where their lodge was – these (du) – men the blind ones (du).
nuu wehnuutakAhčiriikawaáWI noowituutuhtookaawiítIt.
There while he looked at the lodge, then he ran down the hill.

nuu wehnaátA – sčiríhtš – niiwekohnawísAt či
There as he went – Coyote – wherever he had arrived here
wešitaawihUxaahUxítIt kaNItwakuuniítuʾ šohnohnaanukaawaáWI.
now they (du) began to expand the pumice rocks the ones (du) he had hanging from his ears.

tiwehnaátA hUhtiísuʾ nooWIšiteetaRAhtšuuʾá.
As he went finally then they (du) became heavy.

taRAhtšíniʾ wewitíʾAt – taRAhtšíniʾ – tiwehnaátA
Barely now he went, – barely – while he was going
wehnaWIskáʾA aatakaaʾiišátA niikohnaanunuunáka sčiríhtš.
as he thought: "I wish to go home," wherever his dwelling was Coyote.

noowitiwískaʾ číkuʾ weteeNAxkuNAhuúnuʾ.
Then he thought: "Something must be wrong with me."
tsu hUhtiísuʾ– číkuʾ tiwekuWIšitUstakaRUxúʾ kaNItwakuuniítuʾ wešoh- naahuutaʾá.
But finally– they (du) were larger now the pumice rocks as they (du) expanded.

hUhtiísuʾ noowitiiskAhuNAhwiítIt wešohnaahuutaʾá.
Finally there his face touched the ground as they (du) expanded.

noowitihnunaahtáʾIt.
Then he fell to (lit hit) the ground.
wah tiwehnaáxA číkuʾ kaakíʾ číkuʾ niinakuutaáNA
Now as he lay here he was not ab le to do anything
šinakurooʾaáhNA tiwešoh- naawihUxá.
to shake them (du) off as they (du) enlarged.

wah – tiwehnaáxA nuu – noowitiriWAhteekót.
Now – while he lay there, there – then he starved to death.

na nikutiraačítA číkuʾ niinakuukaNIhnoósI kaNItwakuuniítuʾ na
And this is the reason wherever there are rocks lying pumice and
nootičištiwiíkUx – a – či nikuwitáʾ sčiríhtš
there is a pile of bones, – and – here he is the one who came Coyote
kananeesškáxA nakuutUhuunaawaanú.
the one not having any sense who did mischievous things.
na nikunoowitiroswá čiíšuʾ.
And then that is where they are bones.
či nikuwitáʾ sčiríhtš weNAhkuriWAh- teekoótI.
Here he is the one who came Coyote who he starved to death.